Supplemental hydraulic motor for continuously variable transmission

A machine comprising:

• a primary power source;
• a continuously variable transmission including a variator and a mechanical transmission, the variator coupled to a planetary gear arrangement of the mechanical transmission, the continuously variable transmission including a transmission output gear set;
• an output shaft coupled to the transmission output gear set;
• a set of ground-engaging equipment coupled to the output shaft;
• a hydraulic steering pump coupled to the input shaft and fluidly coupled to a hydraulic steering system by a first set of one or more fluid lines;
• a supplemental hydraulic motor fluidly coupled to the hydraulic steering pump and the hydraulic steering system by a second set of one or more fluid lines, the supplemental hydraulic motor including a supplemental-motor output gear in a meshed relationship with the transmission output gear set, wherein the supplemental hydraulic motor increases rimpull at the set of ground-engaging equipment by increasing torque provided to the output shaft by way of the transmission output gear set;
• and
• a first valve coupled to the second set of one or more fluid lines between the hydraulic steering pump and the hydraulic steering pump and the supplemental hydraulic motor, the first valve being movable between a blocked state where the hydraulic steering pump and the hydraulic steering system are fluidly disconnected from the supplemental hydraulic motor and an opened state where the hydraulic steering pump and the hydraulic steering system are fluidly connected to the supplemental hydraulic motor;
• and
• a controller electronically coupled to the first valve,
• wherein the controller moves the first valve to the blocked state to fluidly disconnect the hydraulic steering pump to the supplemental hydraulic motor to prevent additional torque from being transmitted by the supplemental-motor output gear to the transmission output gear set, and
• wherein the controller moves the first valve to the opened state to fluidly connect the hydraulic steering pump to the supplemental hydraulic motor to transmit additional torque from the supplemental-motor output gear to the transmission output gear set.

A method of increasing an amount of torque provided to an output shaft of a continuously variable transmission, the method comprising:

• receiving by a controller a first signal;
• transmitting by the controller a second signal to a valve;
• opening by the valve a fluid channel in response to receiving the second signal, the fluid channel fluidly coupling a hydraulic steering pump and a hydraulic steering system to a supplemental hydraulic motor;
• pumping by the hydraulic steering pump a hydraulic fluid under pressure through the fluid channel and to the supplemental hydraulic motor;
• and
• using by the supplemental hydraulic motor the hydraulic fluid under pressure to rotate a supplemental-motor output gear, which is in a meshed relationship with a transmission output gear set.